Lagos Assembly Passes Open-grazing, VAT Bills For Second Reading

The Lagos state government has proposed 21years jail term for any herder found with firearms ss part of effort to stop open grazing of livestock and possession of dangerous weapons by unauthorised persons in the state.

The House also read for the first and second time the state’s Value Added Tax bill and asked the committee on finance, which is handling it, to report back on Thursday.

The 21 years jail term was contained in a bill tittled ” Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill, 2021″ sent to the House by the executive branch.

While debating the bill during plenary session on Monday, the members of the State House of Assembly who suspended their recess to deliberate on the bill, condemned the incessant moving of cattle by herders openly on farms and roads in the state, adding that trespassing on people’s land would continue to threaten peaceful coexistence in the country.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, described the ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill’ as timely and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the southwest zone.

The Speaker also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.

“Allocating parcel of land is not enough but there should be training of those who would go into ranching,” he said, noting that ranching is expensive and requires adequate preparation.

Speaking on VAT, Speaker Obasa said it would lead to “increase in revenue and increase in infrastructural development. This is in line with fiscal federalism that we have been talking about.”

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